Georgia’s interior minister resigns

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Interior Minister Alexandre Chikaidze, who was hardly seen in public during his tenure, on Friday resigned following the controversial murder of Yuri Vazagashvili.

In his letter of resignation to the PM, Chikaidze writes that he made the decision after being accused of protecting the people involved in the death of Vazagashvili’s son Zurab in 2006.

“Even though this accusation is not true, I feel a moral responsibility to resign,” he writes, adding that he wasn’t in Georgia at the moment Yuri Vazagashvili died from an explosion on his son Zurab’s grave.

“As the investigation continues, I think I must distance myself from the process in order for people not to have reason to question the government.”

He expressed hope that the investigation will be finished soon and that questions will be answered.

Former police colonel Alexandre Chikaidze replaced Irakli Garibashvili as interior minister when the latter became prime minister in the end of 2013. Chikaidze was never seen as the real decision-maker in the Interior Ministry and was rarely seen in public.

Garibashvili, who held the view that Chikaidze was a good minister, said on Friday that he will approve the resignation.

“Lekso [Alexandre, ed.] Chikaidze once again proved that he is an honorable policeman and honorable soldier of our country,” he said, adding that the latter also proved that holding an official post is not important for him, what is important is to serve the people.

The PM also rejected suggestions that Chikaidze is protecting the murderers of Zurab Vazagashvili, but the investigation will uncover the truth, he said.